Diamond Schmitt Architects Shortlisted for UK Holocaust Memorial

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Canada’s Diamond Schmitt Architects is among the shortlisted teams to design the National Memorial to the Holocaust in London, England. At the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, all ten proposals are now on view to the public. The models, renderings and videos will be on display until August 21st.

The Memorial and Learning Centre will be situated adjacent to the Houses of Parliament in Victoria Tower Gardens along the Thames River, in close proximity to a number of celebrated heritage listed buildings. An independent jury of figures in British culture, architecture and religion will judge the submissions in September, including Communities Secretary, Sajid Javid, Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, and Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom, Ephraim Mirvis.

Diamond Schmitt Architects Entrance to Holocaust Memorial

Speaking at the opening of the exhibition, Sir Peter Bazalgette, Chair, UK Holocaust Memorial Foundation, said the memorial would “underline what happens when society breaks down, when law, order, decency and tolerance, and empathy disappear. This is what happened in 1930s Germany, and it has lessons today, lessons about tolerance, lessons about race hatred, lessons for all of us”.

View from the central void of the memorial, image via Diamond Schmitt Architects

Diamond Schmitt is the only architecture firm selected from Canada to participate in the competition. Led by A.J. Diamond, its team includes London-based landscape architects Martha Schwartz Partners and museum exhibition design firm Ralph Appelbaum Associates, based in New York City.